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US attorney general latest gov’t official to challenge Apple on smartphone encryption

US Attorney General Eric Holder

United States Attorney General Eric Holder, who announced plans to resign earlier this week pending confirmation of a successor, has criticized Apple and Google for encrypting smartphone data beyond law enforcement official access, Reuters reports.

“It is fully possible to permit law enforcement to do its job while still adequately protecting personal privacy,” Holder said in a speech before the Global Alliance Against Child Sexual Abuse Online.

Holder is the second high profile government official to publicly oppose smartphone data encryption that prevents law enforcement from accessing data on otherwise locked devices.

Last week it was reported that FBI Direct James Comey voiced his frustration with Apple and Google marketing smartphone encryption to users suggesting doing so was above the law.

The pushback from the government officials follows Apple’s marketing push on privacy with a public letter from Apple CEO Tim Cook on the subject as well as comments made during an interview with Charlie Rose.

During that interview, Cook emphasized Apple’s position on privacy: If the government laid a subpoena on us to get your iMessages, we can’t provide it. It’s encrypted and we don’t have the key.

(Photo via Flickr)

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Comments

  1. Avenged110 - 9 years ago

    Shouldn’t he be busy giving weapons to cartels instead of criticizing our tech security?

    • .  (@jjohnson313) - 9 years ago

      I think this is a ploy to lull people into thinking they cant access your information. I’m sure the US Government has more sophisticated technology then Apple does. Seriously. Don’t fall for the Okie Doke.

      • James Hays (@james_hays) - 9 years ago

        I think you give Government Intelligence too much credit.

      • iSRS - 9 years ago

        You might be right, but I will always place my bets on the private sector

      • paulywalnuts23 - 9 years ago

        Sure they do.. You soon forget that the US government couldn’t even make the website healthcare.gov without the help from the major players in Cali.

      • A.J. Falbo - 9 years ago

        As a Law Enforcement certified electronic forensic examiner, the data encryption is virtually impossible to break, thus the reason why the government in sweating bullets. That is not too say that the government or rather private companies won’t build a better “mouse trap” to counteract the encryptions. Of course, you, the end user, can always be held in contempt of court until you provide the government the passcode. I think Apple and Google will eventually be persuaded to change their stance. Besides, this administration with just ongoing IRS orders until they do (sorry I couldn’t resist).

    • RaptorOO7 (@RaptorOO7) - 9 years ago

      Is it even fair to use Government and Intelligence in the same sentence, they just don’t got well together.

  2. Scott Rose - 9 years ago

    F*** these fascist government officials who want to violate our constitutional right to privacy every second of every day. Thank goodness Apple is sticking up for our individual rights.

    • herb02135go - 9 years ago

      Apple sticking up for your rights?
      Just the right to get your cash.

      • Avenged110 - 9 years ago

        And I trust them so long as they have such a compelling financial stake. If it means big $ for them, chances are it means security for me.

    • A.J. Falbo - 9 years ago

      When you commit a crime with said device where is your right to privacy? What is missing from this article is the fact that law enforcement, not the NSA, relies on electronic forensic evidence to solve a myriad of crimes from kidnapping/murder to child molestation and porn. If your child was being hurt wouldn’t you want the criminal to be caught and punished?

      • And that’s a reason to be able to access billions of users’ phones? Seriously?

        Just do a better job of looking after your kid, why don’t you. Jeez.

  3. Joe Mecca - 9 years ago

    First the Gov. complains that there is not enough privacy and now they complain there is too much?

  4. .  (@jjohnson313) - 9 years ago

    I think this is a ploy to lull people into thinking they cant access your information. I’m sure the US Government has more sophisticated technology then Apple does. Seriously. Don’t fall for the Okie Doke

    • paulywalnuts23 - 9 years ago

      Once again, you soon forget that the US government couldn’t even make the website healthcare.gov without the help from the major players in Cali.

      • herb02135go - 9 years ago

        The website that’s provided tens of millions of Americans with access to health care?
        Yea, what a failure …

      • paulywalnuts23 - 9 years ago

        Yeah I got trolled by Herb!!! Hey Herb did you forget when they rolled out the website how big of a mess it was and how there were.. Then the Govt asked for help from Cali based companies and things got better.. Boy herb your memory is like swiss cheese.

    • Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 9 years ago

      Paranoid much?

  5. Shouldn’t he be busy race baiting and not investigating the IRS, EPA and The White House?

  6. Shouldn’t he be busy planning his escape from prison.

  7. airmanchairman - 9 years ago

    Considering the number of smartphone users in the USA (multiple tens of millions) against the number of child molesters, registered and unregistered (probably multiple tens of thousands, if that many) this seems to be suggesting that the privacy of the former group is a thousand times less important to law enforcement than the investigation and apprehension of the latter group.

    Furthermore, this new development does not make data extraction impossible – forensic tools exist that could extract this information from a cellphone in 5 minutes – it’s the draconian, warrantless, dragnet capability to pry into any and everyone’s affairs regardless of a crime being committed or not, which must now be like a massive drug dependency to authority – that is likely the real issue here.

    Google and Apple: “We’re trying to make them go for rehab, but they said: ‘no, no, no!'”

  8. I say make the government give out the Administrator ID and password to the FBI’s email servers. It’s only fair.

  9. Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 9 years ago

    “It is fully possible to permit law enforcement to do its job while still adequately protecting personal privacy …”

    This is a demonstrably false statement. But then what does one expect from the head cop?

  10. howardbrittain - 9 years ago

    This statement just demonstrates the kind of warped culture that has become endemic in all of America’s ‘Law Enforcement’ community.
    They lose all perspective on the real world when they enter this lofty elite world of corrupted power of the people of America and the world.
    They become convinced of their entitlement to access whatever they want and to do whatever they wish.

  11. Apple’s position on primary is good, but their encryption efforts should be even stronger and turned on by default. Google… Well, they don’t care about privacy as long as they’re getting paid and I’m sure that whatever they speak about publicly has little to no bearing on what the truth is behind closed doors. I’m sure law enforcement will have full enfettered access to Android phones going forward.

    Criminals are one or two steps above any law enforcement agency in technical know-how, so strong encryption is needed to protect the innocent, even if it can be used by a few guilty parties. There’s no reason that the public at large should suffer weaker privacy protections because 1 in 20000 people may have some kiddie porn on their mobile device – there are plenty of other ways to catch peddlers of that material.

    • herb02135go - 9 years ago

      Criminals are not always ahead of law enforcement.
      If they were our prisons would be empty.

  12. fjpoblam - 9 years ago

    Yep, Mr. Secretary, free speech is indeed a scary thing. We need government’s ability to watch us so that we may be assured of government’s ability to protect us from terrorist threats. Like people jumping White House fences and walking right on in. Oh…wait…

  13. Timothy Williamson - 9 years ago

    Can Holder just go away already?

  14. breakingallillusionsx - 9 years ago

    They have no right to do so. Violation of our rights!! Apple should not be forced to hand anything over, nor should any other company. The majority of the world has good people, we shouldn’t lose our rights and privacy for the select few. If you give a little, they will slowly take everything. I for one, dont want to live in a world much like the Domolition Man movie. We the people have to take a stand and fight for our freedoms.

  15. The Butcher - 9 years ago

    If Eric Holder doesn’t like it, that’s a sure sign it’s a good idea.

  16. Howie Isaacks - 9 years ago

    Piss on that corrupt bastard. He needs to read the 4th Amendment as well as the rest of the Constitution along with it. Holder can’t get out of Washington soon enough for me.

  17. John Evos - 9 years ago

    How about this eric…….release the Lerner irs info, the Fast and Furious info, and then we may talk…….
    Otherwise you scumbags are victims of your own ILLEGAL UNCONSTITUTIONAL CONDUCT……
    ROGLMFAOYFM!!

  18. Lee (@leemahi) - 9 years ago

    Let us pray that Apple and Google hold strong on this. Say no to government spying.

  19. The telecoms has the tracking information on where the phone was and when.
    They have the call history, and NSA has the call log.
    In case of IPIP communications, telecoms probably has a log, such that they can track down both IP addresses, and if the other end is a mobile, they can track that as well. That is why most TOR nodes are run by the NSA and other governments.

    This just requires them to use methods they used to use. But it seems like the US government wants to be more like Russia, China and North Korea. They want to monitor thoughts inside the heads of citizens. Next thing will be banning any sort of working encryption, or why not just make a law demanding law-abiding citizens to deliver their password or or fingerprint for unlocking the phone ?

    Next step, criminals will use the phone only for its modem. And all data will be on their secure Linux based tablet or PC. There is no way justice can win this. Unless they make a deliver the password or die policy. Criminals has the money to buy secure communications. And those who don’t are too stupid to care about security.

  20. RaptorOO7 (@RaptorOO7) - 9 years ago

    Funny how this is always about the child sex abuse claims, somehow its the catchall excuse to violate everyone’s privacy, due process and civil rights when the Gov’t violates those every day and hardly does anything to actually stop these types of crimes let alone actually do anything close to their jobs. They spend more time bickering and blocking each other and keeping real legislation from being passed.

    Glad to see holder go and please do let the door hit you where the good lord split ya.

  21. oakie - 9 years ago

    if i remove the locks from my back door then cut the doorway into the shape of a cop, that’ll ensure cops can always get in to help me.

    no one else will ever be able to get through a cop-shaped doorway.

    you first, moron-in-chief.

  22. mrksbrd - 9 years ago

    The govt is like a colony of termites, what ever they touch they destroy.

Author

Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.